Content
Lilac Aucubafolia is a variegated hybrid variety, bred not so long ago, but has already gained popularity around the world, including in Russia. The advantages of the shrub include high frost resistance and abundant flowering.
The originator of the variety is the French breeder Auguste Gaucher, who bred it in 1919 on the basis of the President Grevy variety.
Description of lilac Aucubafolia
Lilac common Aucubafolia (Aucubaefolia) belongs to the number of erect tall varieties - the bushes grow up to 2.5-3 m under favorable growing conditions. Distinctive features of the Aucubafolia variety: wide crown, rich aroma of flowers and variegated foliage. This color of the leaf plate formed the basis for the name of the variety - green leaves with light yellow stripes and spots resemble aucuba foliage.
The flowers of the Aucubafolia variety are pale blue with a lilac tint, semi-double. They are collected in large loose paniculate inflorescences, the length of which reaches an average of 20-25 cm. Lilac blooms extremely abundantly.
The decorativeness of the shrub is stretched over time and falls not only in spring and summer, but also in autumn, since the Aucubafolia variety sheds its foliage late.
Reproduction methods
Aucubafolia lilacs are propagated vegetatively:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- vaccination.
With the seed method of breeding, lilac loses its varietal qualities, so it is suitable for breeding wild species. The cultivation of the Aucubafolia variety by layering is popular, followed by cuttings.
Layers are obtained as follows:
- Deep furrows are dug near the bush.
- Several young shoots, which have already begun to lignify, are bent to the ground and fixed in the ground. The base of the branches is pulled with copper wire.
- By autumn, young shoots will develop from the buds of the allotted shoots.
- Before the onset of frost, the layers are finally separated from the mother bush and removed for growing.
Cuttings are made by harvesting green cuttings, which are cut in June-July. The middle part of the obtained blanks is suitable for reproduction.
Privet or common lilac is used for vaccination.
Planting and care rules
Lilac Aucubafolia tolerates a short drought without any negative consequences and can withstand cold temperatures down to -35-40 ° C, which is why it is not necessary to cover the bushes. The variety is pruned in moderation; it does not need regular treatments against diseases and pests. The only difficulty that arises when growing lilacs is choosing the right place for planting. Despite its unpretentiousness, the Aukubafolia variety is picky about the type of soil.
When to plant
The recommended landing dates in central Russia are the last days of August-early September. So the Aucubafolia variety will have time to take root in a new place before the onset of frost.
If the lilacs are planted too late, mulching can improve the situation.The trunk circle is abundantly sprinkled with dry leaves, straw, peat or sawdust - such insulation will slow down the freezing of the soil. In the spring, it is important to remove the mulch on time so as not to delay the thawing of the soil.
Site selection and soil preparation
When choosing a place for growing lilacs, adhere to the following recommendations:
- The Aucubafolia cultivar loves sunlight and prefers open areas. In extreme cases, partial shade is suitable. When grown in the shade, the growth of the shrub slows down, and the flowering is poor.
- The recommended soil type is fertile, well-drained and moderately moist soil, preferably with neutral acidity. You can lower the acidity with dolomite flour or lime.
- Lilac responds poorly to stagnant moisture and the proximity of groundwater - they must pass at a depth of at least 1 m.Lilacs should not be grown on swampy and damp soils - otherwise, young roots begin to die off.
- The surface of the site for planting lilacs should be flat. A shrub is planted on a hill, but it is not recommended to place the Aucubafolia variety in a lowland. Under such growing conditions, the roots of lilacs will flood excess moisture after precipitation and watering.
Additionally, it should be noted that it is better to choose a site without strong drafts. They do not damage the shrub, but the Aucubafolia lilac grows better in places with less cold air currents.
How to plant
The optimal planting scheme for the Aucubafolia variety is 2-3 m. It is not recommended to thicken the planting, since fungi multiply in conditions of strong shade. In addition, lilacs will compete for nutrients in the soil.
The process of planting lilacs is as follows:
- In the selected area, holes are dug about 50 cm deep and 50-60 cm in diameter. On poor soil, the dimensions of the planting hole are increased to 80 cm in depth and 100 in width. The additional space is filled with a nutritious soil mixture of the following composition: 15 kg of humus or compost, 250 g of wood ash, 25 g of superphosphate.
- The seedling is placed in the center of the hole and the roots are carefully aligned along the bottom.
- The roots are carefully sprinkled and slightly compacted the earth in the area of the trunk circle. In this case, the root collar of the lilac seedling should be at the soil level.
- Immediately after planting, the lilacs are watered abundantly.
- As soon as the water goes to a depth, the area of the trunk circle is mulched with grass, leaves, humus or peat to a thickness of 5 to 8 cm.
Care rules
It is not difficult to care for the Aucubafolia variety, the most important thing is to follow the watering rules.
The shrub is watered as the topsoil dries. An average of about 25 liters of water is consumed per bush. Watering is reduced in August and September.
Fertilize Aucubafolia lilacs only if a fertile soil mixture was not placed in the planting pit during planting. This first feeding of the bush is enough for 3-4 years.
After that, the Aukubafolia variety is fed both with organic matter (bird droppings, manure) and mineral fertilizers (phosphorus-potassium compounds, nitrogen). They adhere to the following recommendations when making dressings for lilacs:
- The Aucubafolia variety is fed with nitrogen in the spring, when the plant begins to gain green mass. Optimal dosage: about 50 g of urea or 60 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 bush. It is better to replace mineral dressings in the spring with organic fertilizers: mullein solution prepared in a ratio of 1: 5 or slurry. Organic matter is applied not at the root, but at a distance of half a meter from the trunk, so as not to burn the root system.
- Phosphorus and potash fertilizing is carried out in the fall. For these purposes, double superphosphate (40 g per 1 bush) and potassium nitrate (30 g per 1 bush) are suitable.
- Of the complex fertilizers, wood ash is considered the best.To feed 1 lilac bush, 8 liters of water with 200 g of the substance diluted in it is enough. With this solution, lilacs are watered during growth, in summer - only in extreme heat.
Caring for the Aucubafolia variety also consists in regularly loosening the soil in the area of the trunk circle. The procedure is carried out at least 3 times a season. A decorative look to the bush is given by pruning made in time.
Aucubafolia lilacs are pruned in March-April. To do this, remove 2/3 of the number of flowering shoots, which stimulates the growth of the remaining branches. So the flowering of the variety will be abundant - untouched shoots form a large number of new flower buds.
Sanitary pruning is carried out at any time of the year.
Diseases and pests
According to the description, Aucubafolia lilac is a disease and pest resistant variety, which is confirmed by numerous reviews. Nevertheless, occasionally the plant is affected by such diseases:
- Bacterial necrosis - the disease is determined by the change in the color of the leaves from green to gray, young shoots also change color to brown. It is almost impossible to cure a sick bush of the Aucubafolia variety. The affected areas are excised and burned. If the disease has covered more than 50% of the shrub, it is uprooted.
- Powdery mildew - this disease often affects young lilac bushes. The first sign of the disease is that the leaf plate becomes white, its surface is covered with a whitish bloom. The affected areas are cut and burned. For prevention purposes, bleach is added to the soil in March or April at the rate of 100 g of substance per 1 m2... After that, the soil is carefully dug up. During growth, Bordeaux liquid (1%) is used to combat powdery mildew.
- Verticillary wilting - lilac leaves curl, brownish spots appear on them. Ultimately, the shrub sheds its foliage and the lilac dries up. To combat the disease, Aucubafolia lilacs are sprayed with a solution of laundry soap and soda ash taken in equal proportions (100 g of substance per 15 liters of water). Also use the drug "Abiga-Peak". The damaged shoots are burned.
Of insects, the following pests are dangerous for the lilac variety Aucubafolia:
- Lilac leaf mite - this parasite sucks the juices from the underside of the leaf plate, as a result of which it becomes brown. Control measures involve, first of all, treating the plant with copper sulfate. For prophylaxis, the near-trunk circle is fertilized with phosphorus-potassium compounds. The affected parts of the lilac are cut off and burned.
- Lilac kidney mite - the presence of a pest is determined by deformed kidneys in which the pest lives. The Aucubafolia variety is treated with a solution of copper sulfate. All damaged shoots are removed.
- Lilac miner moth - the presence of the pest becomes apparent when small dark spots appear on the leaves, after which they curl. Against these insects, the plant is treated with "Baktofit", Bordeaux liquid or "Fitosporin-M".
Diseases are prevented by adhering to the rules of agricultural technology.
Application in landscape design
For decorating garden and park areas, lilacs of the Aucubafolia variety are planted in group plantings or as part of a hedge. The combination of shrubs with conifers looks beautiful. Also good are compositions of lilac bushes of the Aucubafolia variety and peonies, which bloom simultaneously with the shrub.
Conclusion
Lilac Aucubafolia is a variety that is easy to care for. If you take into account the moderate need for irrigation of the shrub and choose the right site for planting, there are no problems with it. Subject to the rules of agricultural technology, he does not get sick.
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